A bawdy T-shirt worn by the colourful mayor of a Victorian city has generated naked fury and a full-frontal attack on his leadership.
A union rally on Monday will demand Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons resign or be sacked for wearing the shirt, which featured a full-frontal and naked image of pop star Madonna, to the city's inaugural Oktoberfest event on Saturday.
Mr Lyons, who established the event, is a paparazzo known for his flamboyant style and unorthodox efforts to promote the struggling manufacturing city.
Madonna appears on the shirt as a hitchhiker, wearing only high-heeled shoes and carrying a sign that reads: "Gas, grass or ass, no one rides for free".
Geelong Trades Hall secretary Tim Gooden said the image angered Geelong women because it trashed the city's reputation and reinforced a negative stereotype among men about women.
It also undermines efforts by the Geelong union movement and many others to eliminate sexism and violence against women.
"We're talking about the mayor of Geelong, the number one citizen, an officer of the Crown who gets paid $170,000 a year and wore a shirt to a public event that is clearly offensive to people in this town," Mr Gooden told AAP.
"He can't seem to understand that this is insulting, sexist, demeaning and misogynistic."
In response to a social media backlash over the T-shirt, Mr Lyons tweeted: "I had no idea of the slogan on yesterdays t shirt bought years ago as a great photograph on a t shirt I certainly didn't wish to demean women!".
Council colleague Jan Farrell was savage in her criticism via Twitter.
"As a woman who lives and works in Geelong I am beyond offended at his ongoing disrespect for women," she wrote.
Geelong Trades Hall's Speak Out Against Sexism Rally will be held on the steps of the Geelong City Hall at 12.30pm on Monday.
AAP has sought a response from Mr Lyons.
